Fuel cell apparatus and method thereof
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsJohn F. Cooper, Roger Krueger, Nerine Cherepy
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Abstract
Highly efficient carbon fuels, exemplary embodiments of a high temperature, molten electrolyte electrochemical cell are capable of directly converting ash-free carbon fuel to electrical energy. Ash-free, turbostratic carbon particles perform at high efficiencies in certain direct carbon conversion cells.
Claims77
A high temperature, molten electrolyte electrochemical cell comprising:
- ash-free, turbostratic carbon particles, wherein said electrochemical cell is a fuel cell.
A high temperature, molten electrolyte electrochemical cell for directly converting a carbon fuel to electrical energy, the electrochemical cell comprising:
- a cathode compartment having an oxygen-containing gas and a molten electrolyte;
- an anode compartment having a slurry comprising said molten electrolyte and carbon particles entrained in said molten electrolyte;
- and
- an electron insulating, ion conducting, porous ceramic separator between said cathode compartment and said anode compartment.
A high temperature, molten electrolyte electrochemical cell for directly converting a carbon fuel to electrical energy, the electrochemical cell comprising:
- a cathode compartment formed by a housing comprising non-porous, inert material having a gas inlet and a gas outlet, an oxygen-containing gas, a molten electrolyte, and a cathode current collector;
- an anode compartment having an inlet, an anode current collector, and a slurry comprising said molten electrolyte and a plurality of carbon particles entrained in said molten electrolyte;
- and
- an electron insulating, ion conducting, porous ceramic separator between said cathode compartment and said anode compartment, said porous ceramic separator capable of allowing transport of ions produced in said cathode compartment to said slurry.
A method for producing electrical energy comprising the steps of:
- heating an electrochemical cell containing a carbon fuel entrained in an electrolyte to an operating temperature causing the electrolyte to become molten, said electrolyte containing at least one carbonate;
- producing carbonate ions by bringing an oxygen-containing gas in contact with a cathode current collector wetted with the molten electrolyte;
- transporting said carbonate ions through a porous ceramic separator to an anode current collector causing said carbonate ions to react with said carbon fuel;
- and
- collecting said electrical energy produced through said anode current collector.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.